Fulton urges fleet to defend A-B line
Fishermen must set their gear right on the A-B line this summer to demonstrate to the U.S. government that our northern maritime boundary is non-negotiable, says UFAWU president Jack Nichol.
Nichol was endorsing a call by NDP Skeena MP Jim Fulton for fishermen to defend Canada's sovereignty on the line, which U.S. officials claim should be moved many miles south.
In a Parliamentary debate June 18, Progressive Conservative MPs refused to endorse a bill proposed by Fulton to entrench the A-B line as the maritime boundary between Canada and Alaska,
claiming that such a move would undermine Canada's negotiating position.
Fulton said July 10 that the only appropriate response to the declared intention of the Conservative government to negotiate with the U.S. over the boundary is "to make sure fishermen put their gear on the line or one inch south.
"Other fishermen should be made fully aware so there's good backup. We'll have to take care of our sovereignty through our fishermen."
Nichol agreed. "If we do nothing the, Americans will take it by encroachment. That line is non-negotiable."
"This is a grand scale sellout," Fulton said. "It is tied in some way to free trade talks. This will have a much greater potential impact on the fishing industry — Indian, non-Indian, commercial or sport — than any other industrial development on the Skeena or Nass watershed.
Joe Clark's office has stated that entrenchment of the A-B line in Canadian law would "prevent us from negotiating," Fulton said. "Mulroney wants the A-B line moved south. How far is the question."
The same day, northern fishermen reported hearing radio communications among U.S. fisheries officers indicating
that U.S. vessels were preparing to enforce U.S. regulations in Canadian waters south of the line.
A candidate for the U.S. Senate in Alaska has called for the issue to be placed on the table in free trade talks. During debate in the House of Commons, Fulton slammed the Tory attitude as "bordering on treason."
Fulton's bill would have confirmed in law that the Canada-Alaska boundary is the A-B line from Cape Muzon, at the southern extremity of Dall Island, across
See A-B line — page 19
The TS/herman
Vol. 51, No. 7
Vancouver, B.C.
July 18,1986
BYLAWS/5, 11
UFAWU moves to strike
• Special expanded meeting of all three UFAWU contract bargaining committees brought together more than 40 union members in Vancouver July 4 to discuss the progress of negotiatons. Above, tenderman Art Murdoch (left) and Prince Rupert shoreworker Barry Hale listen as seine fisherman Garth Mirau makes a point.
Sockeye runs: late or failing?
Where are the fish?
That's the question on everyone's mind up and down the coast as early returns for major runs prove very poor, casting doubt on predictions of a good season for the fishing industry.
The season started on a low point for the commercial fleet when the Barkley Sound sockeye run, predicted to reach about 1 million, flopped completely.
With only a few days of commercial fishing stretched out over three weeks, fisheries managers closed the inlet indefinitely, claiming escapement was simply not there.
And the news didn't improve by mid-July when Nass and Skeena runs were down 75 percent, creating fears that the run was not just late, but might not show in any strength.
The few brighter spots on the coast include Smith Inlet where the run is on target and commercial fishermen have taken an estimated 275,000 sockeye. In the central coast area the chum and pink runs are demonstrating early strength, allowing fisheries officers to display a small amount of optimism in what has been a grim start to the 1986 salmon season.
Fishing during the opening week of Barkley Sound was very poor and it never improved. Fears that the run was not coming increased as the weeks went by and now fisheries officers are expecting the worst.
"It's bad news," said DFO regional director for the area, Don McCulloch. "It's too late to be late."
Escapement levels are disastrous. Great Central Lake, considered to be the backbone of the sockeye run, has only 19,500 on the spawning beds. It needs 200,000 to 250,000 to ensure the continuation of the run. Sproat Lake is only slightly better. DFO officials want 150,000 and there is only 75,000 escapement.
McCulloch doesn't believe there is a large body of fish in the inlet waiting to go up to the spawning beds, leaving little room for optimism.
The total commercial catch for the season was 29,500, a dramatic drop from last year's total catch of more than 300,000 fish. The total run size in 1985 was 623,000 and this was considered poor by fisheries officials.
Where did the fish go? That remains a mystery for McCulloch who is watching other sockeye runs for possible patterns.
Escapement four and five years ago was more than adequate to ensure a strong return under normal conditions.
The only clue for the biologists is an apparent shift in age classifications for returning sockeye. According to McCulloch, there has been a sudden drop in the percentage of four year old fish to 15 percent from an average of 55 to 60 percent.
McCulloch isn't the only one worried about the run. From his new position as the executive secretary of the Pacific Salmon Commission, Ian Todd said there is no data on the Adams run yet, but they are keeping close tabs on other runs.
"We are watching with a great deal of interest what is going on in the rest of the sockeye world," he said.
The only news is the Early Stuart run, which has returned according to predictions. Although unable to support a commercial fishery, about 35,000 fish entered the Fraser River.
Todd said Indian bands along the river have co-operated to ensure the maximum number of fish reach the spawning grounds.
See POOR RETURNS - page 2
UFAWU members were gearing up for strike action July 20 after committees representing tender-men, shoreworkers and fishermen recommended rejection of the companies' final offers.
The union's joint negotiating committees set Friday, July 25, at 11 a.m. as the strike deadline. All three sections had voted overwhelmingly in favor of strike action, shoreworkers by 83 percent, tendermen by 76 percent and fishermen by 80 percent in balloting that concluded July 17.
This issue of The Fisherman was delayed at press until July 21 to provide the latest details of contract negotiations.
The decision to recommend rejection of the companies' latest offer came after three days of bargaining ended July 20 without any major improvements in wages and fish prices. (See pages 12 and 13 for complete details of the offers.)
For shoreworkers, the companies have refused to deal with the issue of technological change in any constructive manner. Instead, representatives of the Fish Processors' Bargaining Association are demanding the removal of the small protection shoreworkers won two years ago.
The only progress came early Saturday mornmg when the companies agreed to guarantee the seine share agreement will be followed for all boats booking fish to the company. For more than two months of negotiating the companies refused, to provide any assurances that union cleared crews would be paid according to the share agreement,
But with the exception of a minor increase in sockeye prices, fishermen have been offered no improvements from last year's contract. The companies are also demanding a major cut in the price of central area chums after July 31.
Both tendermen and shoreworkers have been offered wage increases totalling slightly more than two percent wage increases in each year of a two-year agreement.
"The companies are in control of a very healthy industry and they are not willing to share the benefits with wage earners and fishermen," said UFAWU president Jack Nichol.
Nichol said the offers to all three sections were short of what was necessary to reach a settlement with the companies.
If the membership rejects the offers, negotiations are expected to resume late Thursday or early Friday. If the companies are willing to negotiate in good faith then the strike could be settled before the net openings on Sunday.
Shoreworkers will continue to clean up the plants and fair caught fish until it is all processed and stored. Combination trailers and gillnetters are allowed to fish until 11 a.m. Friday and then production must be brought directly to the plants.